It was so nice out today that we gave the kids their new bikes. Stoked. This bike is so fancy it has a hand brake, a kickstand, and even a bell. So you can just imagine the thrill. I couldn’t believe how quick Lowe learned how to use the hand brake.
They had a ton of fun riding around, thanks in large part to Ouest, who has been acting incredibly kind to Lowe this past week. It’s like a switch was flipped. She has never really been Lowe’s biggest fan, but a week ago she seems to have suddenly decided that he might actually be fun if she invested a little effort. And really, the only effort she needs to put out is, “Come on, Lowe!” and he practically runs out of his shoes to go along with whatever it is she wants to do. I tell you it warms the heart.
I had a Bum friend come out to the bus today. He’s a mobile RV repairman, so pretty much knows all there is to know about these things. He offered to come out and have a look at the furnace and stove. He took one look at the furnace and said, “I have never seen one of these before in my life.” He looked a little closer, “I wouldn’t fix that thing.”
So all right, we weren’t too concerned about fixing that in the first place, so we’ll scrap it.
He poked around the stove for a bit, admired all the rusty looking bits, and told me I could probably retrofit some other thermostat, and mess around forever on it, or for $400 bucks I could drop in a new one. Frankly, I’m stretched too thin right now to even contemplate repairing this thing. Even just buying a new one and dropping it in seems extremely daunting. But at least now we know where we stand.
He apologized for not having better news and not just busting out his tools and getting everything up and running in ten minutes, but hey, this is 1966 stuff we’re looking at here, and I couldn’t really have expected that to happen.
He did show me how the awnings work though. And so for the first time in many many years they were rolled out. The previous owners told me they never had them down, and who knows how long they had sat in the yard of the owner before that. Ali and I were both sort of expecting the worst. We really didn’t think that the fabric could have held up all of these years. Thirty years I think it’s been. But when we rolled them out they looked like new. Perfect. Awnings are the one thing that Ali and I always kicked ourselves for not installing on the VW bus. Just something to cover up the front door when it’s raining is all we ever really wanted. And it looks like we’ve finally got that with the Travco.
What’s up with that color scheme? We found the letter from the original owner actually ordering that specific print.
16 Comments on “New Bikes”
When I updated the galley in the last RV before the current one, I replaced the three-burner cooktop / oven combo with a two burner drop-in cooktop. Since I used the microwave oven most of the time anyway and only used the regular oven for occasionally heating the California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizzas I love, I felt that the space taken up by the gas oven could be better used for storage.
The result was two additional fairly deep storage drawers in which I was able to store everything but the largest pan. I never missed the gas-fired oven, really, but for off-the-grid boondocking, relying entirely on the microwave and the electricity it devours is only sensible with a kick-ass solar system keeping the batteries fed.
A thorough clean-up of the stove / oven got it looking like new. I quickly sold it by just putting up For Sale cards on the bulletin boards at a couple of RV parks in Colorado. A new unit was about $500 at the time, IIRC, and I think I got $275-300. Much more than the cost of the new two-burner drop-in cooktop, anyway, and the expense of making the drawers was minimal since I did it myself.
Of course, the daily needs of a family of four humans won’t necessarily correspond to those of three cocker spaniels, a parrot and, uhm, oh yeah . . . me.
TJ
Uhoh . . . just came across this item on the Tucson craigslist:
http://tucson.craigslist.org/rvs/4370959087.html
It’s even color-coordinated to match your Travco!
That’s awesome!
That is a thing of beauty! I hope Pat & Ali will go for it. It belongs in their bus! To think we were just cycling all around Vail a couple weeks ago too, within spittin’ distance of that beautiful stove!
We plan on doing away with our oven/stove and installing either an induction cook top for more storage, better counter use, and safety. Or possibly an induction plate so we can use it outside as well (less heat inside). We are doing away with all propane. It’s such a PITA to find and fill all the time. Plus no worries about leaks.
The fabric is a classic awning stripe. It’ll fade a little, but it lasts forever. We’ve got an old chair up at the cabin with the very same fabric. It’s at least 50 years old and has a lot of life left in it. The stripe doesn’t match anything at our place either but we still like it.
Thin???
$500???
Probably a good thing you sold the boat and moved back in with the parents.
Have you checked out that book…Live on the Margin?
HA good one Susan…..I think Pat meant stretched thin …meaning time ..not money!
Thank you Bob, I read that comment ten times and had no idea what Susan was referring to. Yes, I meant I’m stretched thin on time. We’re on the clock to get moving.
Pat, If you have not heard of these guys yet, they will be along your way south when you head back for warmer climates. No endorsement implied. I just know that they are frequently identified by folks looking for older RV parts and replacement parts. http://colawrvsalvage.com/
Time to leave cold country! Don’t you think?
That close-up of Lowe is adorable with his rosy red cheeks. Glad big sister is taking her role more seriously. One of the best things in life is a brother!
The kids are both riding without training wheels already!? Nicely done. A lifetime love of bikes is a wonderful thing. I’m feeling like a kid again on my bike nearly every day at age (almost) 53!
They are balance bikes – no pedals.
Wow — never heard of them. Obviously I’m way too old (and childless so completely missed this new “trend”). Well, they’ll certainly not need training wheels when the time comes for “real” bikes with pedals!
you guys should swing through coastal north carolina when you get that on the road. 74 and gorgeous here today.